


Beneath Metal Masks

by andy_allan_poe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adorable Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bountyparents, Character Study, Denial of Feelings, Digital Art, Emotional support baby yoda, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Fanart, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love Confessions, M/M, ManDadlorian, No Smut, Other, Parenthood, Slice of Life, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Whump, Yodito, no betas we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24143836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andy_allan_poe/pseuds/andy_allan_poe
Summary: I mean c’mon. Guy that hates robots ends up falling for the one protecting his son and saving his life. Who is also the only being that can and has seen his face.They have a similar sense of humor. They meet and immediately manage to take down a whole team of people just the two of them. They both have changed because of kindness.The fact that he dies is just plain stupid. Disney saw the potential and was AFRAID. No I will not be silenced-
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Din Djarin & IG-11, Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & IG-11 (Star Wars), Din Djarin & IG-11, Din Djarin/IG-11, IG-11 (Star Wars)/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The mandalorian & ig-11
Comments: 41
Kudos: 141





	1. I - The Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mobile users: tap the image to see it in full!

[ ](https://66.media.tumblr.com/7225fd364644cb966f774cb78551fb35/b0b446be03e013a6-9f/s2048x3072/26cdc47cff567c4d042da85bbcf8b964b1ec2758.pnj)  


"We’ve discussed this already, it is part of my programming-"  


“BUT taking care of the Child is now part of your programming! You said it overwrites it, right?”  


“… That is true.”  


“Then why- Why are you always so eager to _die_ -”  


“I cannot really die since I was never technically alive.”  


Din grunted, threw his arms up in frustration and started pacing around. The android stared silently for a moment before continuing the discussion, slightly more gentle, somehow.  


“If I auto-destruct you will have a chance of escaping. You then can take care of the Child. It’s a logical solution.”  


“This isn’t like Nevarro.”  


“Correct. It is worse. It is just the two of us and the Child is currently alone.”  


“Alright” Din stopped pacing and got in front of the android, finger pointing at his face, determination in his voice. “This is a _temporary_ solution-”  


“Problems are temporary-”  


“ _Let me finish._ This could MAYBE help in the moment, but what about the future? The Child is going to keep being in danger. He is going to keep needing care. What if a bigger problem arises later and you aren’t there?”  


“…”  


“You can’t just-” He took a breath. “You can’t sacrifice yourself every time there’s a problem. We need to work together and think of something else.”  


IG stayed silent for a moment, mechanisms turning in his head. The Mandalorian stared, still.

“… Why.”  


“Wh- Because- _Why??”_ He asked, tone raising. “It- it makes _sense-”_  


“You misunderstand me.” IG grabbed the hand currently up in the air, in a way that could have been deemed threatening, but Din found surprising. “Why is this upsetting.”  


Din didn’t make a motion indicating he wanted his hand released from the gentle grip, in fact he just stood still, still surprised. By the action, by the question…

IG knew about his resentments for androids. No, _everyone_ knew. A little child deep within himself felt panic at IG’s quick motion, but he knew he was in no danger. Well, not from the android standing in front of him, at least. Din thought he made painfully clear that he trusted him, so he didn’t understand how could IG ask _why_ the idea of him dying was upsetting. It was baffling. But there was something else not adding up.

IG had learned to be careful around him. He understood his fear from the multiple times he woke him up because Din was screaming from a nightmare that followed him since childhood. IG made sure to always let him know if he was about to touch him, and what he was doing. The android has always been patient, understanding, and trustworthy. 

Was IG… afraid?

“Because.” Din spoke quietly, slowly releasing his hand from the grip, which IG let go of immediately after sensing the movement. “Because I care about you.”  


They stood silently in front of each other. Still. Staring. 

IG would have replied immediately after the surprise of such challenging affirmation, but a roar was heard in the distance and their ground suddenly started shaking.


	2. II - The Past

"There's no need to be sad. I was never alive."  
"I'm… not sad."  
"Yes you are."

He walked through the river of lava. He stood in the open surrounded by enemies, about to auto-destruct, but Din flew above him.  
Taking advantage of the distraction the android had provided, he started shooting the enemies, and dropped one of his last two bombs on the group on the left. IG interrupted his auto-destruction procedure, due to the fact that he would have armed someone he did not intend to harm, and the fact that shooting the surviving enemies on the right was at this point a wiser option.  
Cara and Greef took down the remaining ones as they came out of the tunnel. IG was pulled back on the boat, legs severely damaged. The child approached him and put his tiny hands on his head, seemingly trying to "heal" him but to no avail. He resorted to just sitting down by his side.

When the TIE Fighter approached, IG quickly turned his body over to stand in between the shooting and the Child. Head locked over the enemy, he and the other started shooting, uselessly.

"Do the magic hand thing!" Said Greef to the Child.  
The Child waved at him confusedly.  
"I'm out of ideas." Said Greef to no one in particular.  
"I'm not."

Din flew up again toward the TIE Fighter, exhausted and hurt. It was hard to catch, harder to stay on, and even harder to plant the bomb. Since it was his last one, he got caught on the blast of the resulting explosion in an attempt to make sure the bomb was on the vehicle and activated. He couldn't afford to waste his shot. He simply couldn't fly away fast enough.

Moff Gideon would later rise from the ashes, but from now he went crashing down.

Din caught himself right before hitting the ground, and managed to land on his feat instead of his head. He stood there for a moment, looking heroic. Then his legs gave out and he was on his elbow and knees. Cara was quickly by his side. Greef was supporting IG, approaching slowly.

"Are you hurt?" Practical.  
"I'm fine." A shaken breath came out from under the helmet.  
"I believe he might have damaged his thorax. From the look of it, his right ribs might be cracked." IG pointed out very helpfully.  
Cara now noted how the Mandalorian was keeping his right arm close to the side of his chest, taking deep breaths. Cara helped him lay slowly on his left side.  
"It's nothing."  
"Shut up."  
The Child came from behind her, walking toward Din with a sad expression. His ears were low and his eyes were big. He was tired and hurt, but he still stared at Din in the eyes (or, where supposedly his eyes were from underneath the helmet) and slowly raised his tiny hand toward Din's chest. Cara sat there silently, waiting. IG and Greef were now right above them, staring, still, waiting for the magic to happen.

Din gently grabbed the little shaking hand before it could touch him. The Child shifted his attention from the injury to him again, looking puzzled. Din took a couple of deep breaths and suddenly pulled the Child toward him in a pretty awkward looking hug. He put his big hand over his tiny head in a protective and affectionate manner. He kept breathing in and out before whispering to him: "It' alright. It's alright. It's over now."  
The Child gripped his tiny hands on the helmet and returned the hug, listening to the comforting sound of his voice.

They could take care of everything later.  
[](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/372834119052165121/710063251752484904/the_past.png)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For mobile users, tap on the image to see it in full


	3. III - The Answer

"...It is highly illogical."  
"Yeah, well…" Din just shrugged at him.  
"I'm a construct. I serve a purpose."  
"So do I."  
"You have free will."  
"And you don't?"  
"..."  
Din thought about how both of their emotions were hiding under a layer of metal, and how much of that was voluntary, or plain luck. He could hide his pain and his fear under his helmet, IG could hide so well under the disguise of an emotionless android than Din didn't even consider the fact he wanted to hide in the first place. He wondered about all those years he must have spent as a bounty hunter and what that meant.

"You have a personality. There are things you like. You do things outside your primary objective just because _you want to_. Taking care of a child means making sure he's fed and safe, you go beyond that."  
"It has been studied that the wellbeing of a child is deeply connected to the emotional support he receives, therefore it is part of my primary objective to-"  
"To what?"  
"..."  
Din sighed, wondering how he, a man with a history of strong resentment toward androids, ended up now trying to convince one that having feelings was alright. "You feel stuff."  
"..."  
Din turned his back to him to finish undressing his armor "... It doesn't matter, really."  
"Explain."  
"That it's illogical, I mean. That I care."

They were resuming the conversation they were having during their capture, before the explosion the Child caused could distract and save them at the same time.

IG didn't have to save him in Nevarro, and he didn't have to be gentle, and patient. He didn't have to say goodbye to the Child with such sadness, when he thought he was about to die, or self-destruct. But he did.

How many times have people made comments to him because they couldn't see his hurt under the helmet? How many times has he thoughtlessly done the same to the expressionless android? 

Din was the type of person that formed opinions and strong alliances very quickly, maybe too much for his own safety. If people could see his face, they would see an overwhelming amount of emotions they didn't think he was capable of. He was just a killing machine, right? IG was just a killing machine, right?  
And yet somehow the android found "highly illogical" than Din trusted and cared deeply about him. Astonishing.

The Child was tranquil on the android's lap, happy to be reunited with his caretakers and tired for the adventurous day. He hadn't pass out since the first time he showed his powers, which lead Din to conclude how malnutritioned and tired he must have been at the time. They were doing something right, then, if the Child was now able to use his powers without hurting himself in the process.

Din moved his left arm trying to get a strap from the back, and found some difficulty in doing so.  
He took a pause from undressing. "Kuiil." He said.  
The android shifted his attention from the Child back to him.  
"As a name, I mean. Kuiil. I think it fits."  
"For the infant."  
"Yes."  
Din held his stare on the android from under the helmet, waiting for an answer. That seemed to make IG uncomfortable, since he was now looking away, so he went back to his armor.  
"... That's acceptable." He said after a while.  
" _Acceptable_."  
"It's appropriate. It fits, as you said. For the circumstances."  
"Are the circumstances the fact we don't know his name or the fact that Kuiil-"  
"Yes." He interrupted.  
Din didn't fear his emotions, he feared solitude. IG feared his emotions. So Din dropped it.

He tried again to get the strap behind is back, maybe if he moved the arm this other direction instead- but no, he was hit with a sharp sense of pain that ran up through his neck and his skull.  
"You are injured."  
Din sighed. "I don't think it's an open wound. It might have been the impact."  
"May I see?"  
"Sure."  
IG stood up and passed the Child to Din, who proceeded to let him sit on his lap, facing him. The Child looked up and beamed at him. He put both his hands on the Child's back and gently started bouncing his leg, as if the Child were riding a steed.  
IG removed the last layer of clothing.  
"Where do you feel the pain?"  
"Upper left. It travels all the way up to my skull when I- ugh- do this."  
"I see."  
IG pressed a path with his metal fingers up to Din's neck.  
"I need you to remove your helmet. I would like to check for any signs of concussion."  
Din turned the infant so he was now facing his back. The Child made a questioning sound that was immediately interrupted by the presence of the helmet in front of him, happily distracted.

IG kept investigating the back of his skull  
"I'm… I'm sorry. For before. For pushing it."  
The metal fingers stood still. Din waited a moment cautiously.  
"... There's no need to apologize."  
"... Alright."  
They both stood still and in silence for a moment longer.

After whatever going through what was bothering him in his head, IG gave in and slowly lowered his head to rest on top of Din's. At the touch, Din let out a little gasp of surprise. IG didn't show any intention of moving. Din stayed silent.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> 
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